THE FINANCIER
and women did st>parate. Some men and some women
ran away. Others fought terribly. There were storms
of ill-feeling and brutality reported. He knew of a num-
ber of cases where the husband and wife were permanently
separated. His own father and mother got along nicely;
but his mother was of a quiet, peaceful, sympathetic, and
religious temperament, and his father was cautious.
They quarreled now and then. There were little strains
of feeling over trivial things. Unquestionably both
harbored regrets of various kinds. Nearly every one
did. He had no regrets as yet, but he might have. The
saddest thing to him was to see the defeated man—the
man who had failed because he could not think quick
enough. He wanted to make himself so secure finan-
cially that even lack of quick thinking later on would
not subject him to distress and regret.
As may be imagined, the family was greatly disturbed at
the announcement of his coming marriage to Mrs. Sem-
ple. She was too old, his mother and father thought;
and then Frank could have done so much better with
his prospects. Young Anna fancied that Mrs. Semple
was designing, which was, of course, not true at all. His
brothers, Joseph and Edward, were interested, but not
certain as to what they actually thought, seeing that
Mrs. Semple was good-looking and had some money.
Frank seemed to know what he was about, but could
have done better if he had waited, of course. His friends
and the family's friends were surprised when told; but
young Cowperwood was getting along, and, from a worldly
point of view, it was all right. Mrs. Semple had a right
to remarry after two years, if she wished. There was no
moral or ethical law binding a woman so young to single
blessedness.
The time drifted by, and meanwhile Frank, who had
resigned his position with Tighe & Co.,, had opened
a little note - broker's office at No. 64 South Third
Street, He had various excellent connections which
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